Tailgate for highway vehicles



Nov. 9, 1948. J. J. BLACK TAILGATE FOR HIGHWAY VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 6, 1945' INVENTOR-` infantil/54h31 Nov. 9, 1948. J.`J. BLACK 2,453,617

l TAILGATE FOR HIGHWAY VEHICLES Filed June 6, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BVM? 2%@ 2%@ @f/Wffw Petenied'Nee. 9, `l194e l l 2,453,617

TEDSTATES PATENT een@ M t "rendern FonfniGHwAY vnnicLEs James J. Black, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Trailmobile Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a cory `g e poration of Delaware t f `f l t i ,epiieatierrjhnel s, i945, se'riei Ne.` ssifzcfif sciame (crees- 57h frhis invention rentes to teugateefe highway `Figure is e sectional vieweienglthelhne k5 e; vehicles lsuch as trucks, trailers and the 1ike`,a`nfd i: Figure 4; i 1 t w y, "w i is particularly concernedfwith Ia structure which Referring again to the `drawings fora' further is exceedingly strong and'sturdy in operationbut and more detailed descriptionkofthe inventin, which, due to the particular `construction which 5 a tailgate lembodying the preferredconstruction will 'be hereinafter described, is substantially of the invention has beendesignated-generally'ns` lighter than similar structuresin use at the pres- IU and in `Figure l is shown in `upright position ent time." 1 l 1*" f securedltothelrearcornerlpsts HI of th `body Ithas been conventionalin the past to conof a highway vehicle. G+: l@ w1: struct tailgates from hardwood reenforcedby `The attachment elementsforfsecuring the tailimetalbands or in some `cases from hard wood `gelte inuprighi pOSiiOn include l10095 l2SCl11`ed 'wholly orpartially encasedbetween metal plates. integrally i0 iheiilgate andxtendng "laterally These constructions are all comparatively heavy, `around the studs l5 `which@project outwardly and accordingly somewhat cumbersome to from and are rigidly securedto thev-rear cor-ner inanipulatej In addition, the" wood `being'fre- 15 postslloffthe vehiclew i lquerii'lyexposed to the elements tends to deteri- Cotter pins I3 Xedl tothe ends of `chainsivll `crate with greater `rapidity thanthe` vehiclelbody are inserted' through apertures MIG inltherllends andbeing subjected te blews endcehtacts tends of the studs `1315; T0 preventlrattlirra? rubber tdsplitf or splinter "thereby presenting an uncollar'slll may beiinsertedarouridithe studswl sightly appearance, and in some instances, interbetween the tailgate and the `vertical P05155# this fering with the efficiency of operation. construction being best illustratedfirilligureg.

One Aof the objects of the present invention has Theonstuctiolif the:` tailgate" itself ils bes? been to form a tailgate entirely of metal in which `illustratedin FiguresZand 4;. The inner section the elements are`fso'arranged and `disposed asfto i3 S formed from@ Sheet 0r Plate lof'cmmguiited provide astructure which is substantially stronger metal SuChaSfSeel- In theDIfefeiledCOnStIjliCe but` stilll substantially lighter than theeenvenytien the eerrueatiens` are alternately 4wide# 'and tional Wod and metal tailgates nowin` use," l l narrow `with the openings off the widercorruga- Anotherobjecthas been toprovid'e'an all metal lione being disposed toward thev surface of the tailgatein which the interior section is formed tailgate Which Willbe uppermOSt when it SVeX- fliilelrilgated Stripwiththe corrugaticnsgo tended.` 'A steel plate I9 extendsacross theed- 'cengurated emrdieposed as to give maximum tire upper surface 0f the tailgate and preferablylis rigidity j i l spot welded to the closed ends ofthe narrow'corn Another object has been tontilizethe hinge rugations. "Hinge straps llyare disposedtrans- Straps of theftailg'ate asgtransverse bracing elei VeTSelY RCISS the undef Side 0f the'iailgatewaflfd mente in en en meter tailgeteeenstruetion mjhave one end thereof congureted te ferme leer 'clii'ding a corrugated eentraltsetion, encircling thel shaft 2 IJ Thesehinge strapslpro- Another objecthas been to providefan al1 'metal vide transverse bracing for `the"tailgate andflalfso tailgate 0f unitary (instruction `having a cor. perform" the conventional functonlohihges. rugated central section in which e maximum The erid Ofihe tei1gete`fwhehier1s theweuter degree ef strength and rigidityie attained unhz- 4o edge when theteilgete is in extended besitiois vinga minimum number of parts, y preferably tapered "outwardlyliand downwardly h `other and further objects and edventegeswiu with1 the upperplatel secured to `eneieii *"f be apparentfrom the further and more detailed the COIrllgtedplaiiel t0 fOiIii a Ieileed Drill-` descriptionofthe invention when considered in J'eCtiOn 22. `ThlS`S""f0I"the DliriiOSeOi Allleliiiiig conjunction'with the drawings in which: i 455 the loading 0f `Very heavy objec'sfw fC Figure 1 is `a side elevation of a tailgate empushed `Ovelthe tailgate andinto the vhicl bodying the preferred construction of the inven- *A hinge bracket23 is pcostioned` adjace :tionlin raised 0r Vertical position on the `rear end inner edge of thetailgate andhas its outward of e, highway vehicle such as a trailer or truck. projecting edge enflguted t'encirc'le the shaft Figure 2 is a sectionalviewx along the line 2 2, 50 `2l in thearea betweenthehirig strapsZlll; s Figure 1 i portion oi thebracketmaybe integallyfsecured Figure 3 is a sectional View along the line `3--3, to the shaft 2 I `as* by`welding although *in "the `fligure particularlyillustrating the means propreferred form the shaft is permitted to rotate. vided for securing the tailgate in upright or ex- A `supporting plate' 24` is rigidlysecuredfhsby tended position as the case may be. welding to a vertical leg ofybracket' and is` `o `IligureviJis a sectional view similar to Figure 2 welded to the under side of "fthe hinge lconL Lof showingthe tailgate secured in extended position." bracket 23 t for reenforcing and isiilL'rrnirtliis this lustratedin Figure 4, the end ofthe hook 29 may .as best. shown .in.:f

be inserted in the loops I2 Figure 4. v

The construction of the tailgate proper is oney which is particularly strong and rigid, much more so than the conventional combinations of wood and metal now in use. effectively provided by .the corrugated inner plate particularly on the under surface of the tailgate. The plate I9 provides further lengthwise bracing on'the' upper surface and also provides a surface which is; absolutelysmooth and not subject to bythe hingestraps 20. The hinge arrangement is 'one which isA particularly strong and rigid and inv'which there islittle or no danger of a failure due to strain and breakage. Ingthe case of both the=hingefarrangement and the tailgate proper .thewdesiredresult has been V,accomplished with aminimum vofparts. and a minimum of difficult labor operations, forming and welding being practically allfthat is required.

While I have describedhereina preferred embodirnent :of my invention, `it is apparent that various` changes and modifications may be made in-the exact construction illustrated without departing fromthevsubstance of the invention as set Outinj the ensuing claims. f

Having Afully described my invention, I claim: V1. A tailgate for a; highway vehicle, comprising a plate formed from corrugated metalrwithfthe Corrugations extending transversely of the vvehicle Lengthwise bracing ist ,.wear: 'Eii`ective.t1ansverse bracing is` provided body, a -ilat plate positioned on the upper surface ofthe `corrugated plate and secured thereto, and hinge straps secured tothe lower surface ofvsaid plate andextending substantially across the tailgate transverse to. the corrugations, said hinge `.of =saidwirgler corrugations being disposed toward theupper surfaceof the tailgate, a ilat plate-extending continuouslyover the upper surface-of `the,corrugated` plate and secured Athereto and a .pluralityof hinge Ystrapswsecured to theunder surface ofthe corrugated plate atspac'ed, points, `s aid lhinge straps `extending substantially across the V.cQrrligat `e d. plate ,and providing transverse bracing"thereto E l .l l i 3.Infc ombi nation with .a vhighway vehicle having..a shaftfrigidly secured tothe rrearend thereof. transversely to thebody of thevehicle, au,tailgatefpivotally mounted .on s aid shaft, said metal, tailgate forl a highway-vehicle .strapsproviding transverse bracing for the -tailvtailgate comprising a` l.corrugated plate,v va., dlat .l

plate extending continuously` over the upper :sur-

v face of theV corrugated plate and forming a loadingsurface vand'apluralityfof hinge straps rigidly securedto the vunder surface of the corrugated plateand pivotally secured at -their ends to :the

Als ha.ft,on" the vehicle body, said straps providing tiansvegehfesmatonitetailgate l 'acorrugated plate, ,a flat` plate extending .5 of the corrugated plate and secured thereto, said upper platehaving its outwardly extended edge tapered downwardly to providek an inclined surface foriloading heavy articles.

5. In a tailgate for highway vehicles, a corfrugated metal plate forming a section for said tailgate, the corrugations in said plate extendingV transversely of the vehicle body, hinge straps rigidly secured to said corrugated plate and ex-v tending across the corrugations to provide transverse bracing therefor, the endsI ofv said straps being4 adapted to be Y pivotally' securedftofthe vehicle body, and a lsubstantially flat-platedisposed above the corrugated plate to provide a. smoothloading surface.v f I .1

.16'. A tailgate for highway'vehiclescomprlsing a .corrugated metal plater forming Iafsection for said tailgate, the corrugations insaidplateexftending transverselyof the vehicle body] a pluralitylof hingestraps extending acrossl the Eunder surface of thecorrugated. plate transverse ofthe orrugations "to provide Vcross' bracing for said innerl plate, the ends, of .s aidhinge strapsjbeinfg adapted to be pivotal'ly.securedftotlieveljicle rbody and a substantially vflat upper plate disposed on the upper surface of the corrugated plat to provide` a smooth loading surface, .said pl and straps being entirely If ormedfrom meta fd being integrally weldedtogetherjto forml'a u bfstantially'light and strong unitary,.stru`c "i'e Straps being spot welded `'to said Icorru'g'at'lins whereby saidilat plate andsaid'liingestr maintained rigidly in spaced relationship vide aunitarybeam structure. y u

.8. A .tailgate fora highway vehicle compri ng:

the upper surfacev of. s aidfcorrugated pla l Welded ther eto,. a,.plurality of straps', extending across and weldedto the undersurfaceof th'c'or.- rugated plate at Irightangles to Vtlflefcorrugatimis thereof, the yopposite ends vof said straps and, flat plate being joined tg'etherftofconstitutefa beam in which the flat plate and fs'tap respectively constitute. 'the' compression sion members ofthe beam.4

' Date l. 

